Violet Dawn and the Mod Soul
by MarieMjolnir
Summary: I posted this on another site, got a lot of questions so I posted the answers before the chapter began. Too lazy to take it off.
1. Chapter 1

"Damn! This is the third one today!" Ichigo cursed as he threw down his pen. "I'm never going to be able to get this math assignment done!" he exclaimed as he glanced down at the flashing badge attached to his pants and stood up. As he prepared to exit his body and enter the spirit world an ear-grating scream reverberated through his skull and set his teeth on edge.

"PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!"

Ichigo raised his foot so he could stop the screaming stuffed lion the second he entered the room. Kon hit it dead on and flopped back bonelessly. Ichigo couldn't suppress the grin that rose to his lips at the sight of Kon's new costume.

"Yuzu is getting really good at knitting, huh?" he said laughing at the sparkling pink knitted confection that now clothed Kon's plushie body.

Kon just sobbed loudly on the floor. He raised his head and said, "Please! Just for tonight! You've left me stuck in this damn body for weeks now!"

Ichigo briskly nodded not wanting to waste any more time and reached deep into the stuffed lion's mouth. When his fingers closed on a small marble-shaped pill he pulled it out and popped it into his mouth.

Kon breathed a sigh of relief at being able to breathe again and stretched out his long limbs. He looked around for Ichigo, but Ichigo was already gone. Kon got off of the bed and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Ichigo's face stared back out at him. Kon giggled and ran his hands through his spikey orange hair. He looked down at the school clothes on his body.

"I feel like something a little nicer tonight," he grinned as he strode to Ichigo's closet. "He has no fashion taste at all..." Kon mumbled as he pawed through Ichigo's clothes. "Hey, wait a minute."

Yuzu was setting the table for dinner when she saw her brother run outside in black pants and a button down black shirt.

"Um, Ichigo? Is there any reason why you are wearing...?" she began to ask.

"NOT NOW!! There's no time to talk!!" Kon yelled behind him as the front door closed.

"Uh...does that mean you won't be here for supper?" Yuzu quietly asked the closed door. After a moment's thought she set his place at the table anyway. You never knew with Ichigo...he could be gone until midnight tonight and then be angry that no one saved him any supper.

Mura sat alone at her table in the cafe and doodled on a napkin. When the waitress brought her soup, she quietly thanked her and began to eat slowly. As she was blowing off the steam her eyes were drawn to the young man that was being seated at the counter in front of her. He really stood out with his bright hair and big smile.

"God this all looks so good! I haven't eaten in weeks! Damn Ichigo." she heard him say as he perused the menu. Her eyes widened a little at that and she bent back to her soup. As she ate she had a hard time restraining herself from looking at him again and again. He was so cute and did everything with such happiness and vigor. He didn't seem to care if everyone in the cafe could hear him loudly eating and talking to himself. She looked down at her bowl and sadly realized that it was empty and she had no more excuse to linger and look at the orange-haired teen anymore. Then in a fit of impulsiveness (she had those every once in a while and she tended to later regret them) she stood up and purposely walked to the counter he was sitting at. He turned to look up at her with a noodle hanging out of his mouth.

Mura giggled and said, "Hello there. My name is Murasaki Sougyou. What is yours?"

The boy slurped up the noodle, burped and then stuck out his hand. "Hello! I'm very pleased to meet you. Very pleased..." he trailed off as his eyes leisurely took in her form.

She purposely cleared her throat and said, "Um...you never told me your name."

Kon blinked up at her and stammered at a loss for words. What should he tell her? His real name or Ichigo's? He noticed her frown at the fact that he couldn't cough up his own name and quickly said, "Uh...uh...it's Ichigo...Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Oh." she blinked. "Well it's no wonder you were a little embarrassed to tell me, huh?" she lightly teased.

"Uh...yeah." Kon said while inwardly cursing Ichigo and his unusual name. "But yours is kind of weird as well...pretty, but weird." Kon saw her face fall at that and quickly ammended, "But the pretty part wins out over the weird part in my book." He took another huge bite of noodles and casually asked, "So have you ever seen me around school before?" He hoped he could discern whether Mura went to Ichigo's school or not.

Mura shook her head and answered, "I don't live around here. I come here out of my way to avoid my own classmates."

Kon sighed with relief at that. His chances of screwing up this conversation with her just dropped considerably.

"May I sit down here?" she politely asked him.

"Yeah sure! So you gettin' picked on at school then?"

"Uh...I don't want to talk about it if you don't mind." Mura said soflty while playing with her skirt. When she looked back up at him he noticed tears in her eyes.

Kon cursed and mumbled, "So much for not screwing up the conversation."

"It's ok...really. I...uh...should be going now." Mura started to get up to leave.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Kon asked and gripped her arm. He heard her gasp in pain and looked down at his hand. "Aw shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Sometimes I forget how strong I am." He let her go and said, "Listen...you're really pretty and I'm flattered that you actually came up and talked to me and all, but you should probably forget that you ever saw me. It would just be easiest that way." This time when he looked at her he saw that her tears were now running down her cheeks. Then she quickly turned around and ran out of the cafe almost toppling a waiter in the process. "Shit." he cursed to himself. "I really screwed that up." Yet it probably really was best in the long run. He shuddered to think of the mess it would cause if he actually started a friendship with the girl. He looked down at his half-finished meal and realized he wasn't hungry anymore. He placed whatever money Ichigo had in his wallet on the counter hoping that it was about the right amount to pay for the meal.

When Ichigo came home a half an hour later he was surprised to see that Kon was actually sitting quietly in his room. He had expected that he would have to wait for Kon to come back before he could get back into his body.

"Uh...wow...this is unexpected, Kon." Ichigo told the slumped figure on the bed.

"Just get me out of here already, Kurosaki." Kon angrily mumbled.

"Hey, what's with the bad attitude!? I was trying to do something nice for you!" Ichigo yelled back.

"Don't worry about it." Kon said as he stood up.

With nothing more to say Ichigo stepped back into his body and extended his hand for the pill that fell out of his mouth. He put it back in the stuffed animal that was still lying on the floor. Once it was back inside the lion promptly stood up and walked towards the hallway.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Ichigo called after it.

"I'm going back to Yuzu's room. I'm going to try to be like a real stuffed animal and not think anymore tonight." Kon replied. 


	2. Chapter 2

HaHa! I guess you can read it here a chapter at a time!

"KON!!" Ichigo screamed as he looked incredulously into his empty wallet.

Kon ran in tearing off whatever remains of the dress were still on his body. "What the hell are you screaming about?!" he screamed back.

"Is there any reason why all of the money in my wallet is gone?" Ichigo attempted to patiently ask.

"Uh...well...about that. Hey! Come on! You didn't expect me to eat Yuzu's cooking again, did you?" Kon defiantly spat back, finally free of the last pieces of ribbon and lace.

"I had over 3000 yen in here! Don't tell me you spent all of that on food?!"

"Uh...well...I don't really know. Hey! Don't look at me like that!! I was never taught math you know!"

Ichigo sighed and replaced his wallet in his pants. "Then it is time you learned. You're going to join me tonight when I am doing my homework."

"HEY! NO FAIR!! Why do I have to learn crap like that?!" Kon whined. "I think I'd rather stay in Yuzu's room tonight and suffer through another tea party than do your homework!"

"If you are going to be in MY body, spending MY money then you sure as hell are going to learn crap like that!" Ichigo yelled as he grabbed his bookbag. "See you tonight," he smirked back at Kon as he left his room.

Mura flipped her freshly braided hair back behind her head. She checked her reflection one more time and then sighed. "Well this is as good as it gets," she told her image. "No wonder that boy in the cafe last night didn't like me." She quickly turned away from that thought though as fresh tears threatened to form. She picked up her school bag and walked out to her car.

As she sat in history class doodling her thoughts returned to the night before. Ichigo was certainly a strange person if nothing else...talking to himself all of the time and having a hard time telling her his name. She looked down at her arm again. She couldn't believe the size of the bruise that Ichigo had left there. And yet she honestly believed that he was as surprised as she was when he grabbed her and that he didn't mean to hurt her. She was torn about whether to go back to the cafe again. On one hand she hoped to see him there again...even if it was just to watch him and absorb his brash happiness for awhile, but then she would remember how he said that it would be best just to forget ever meeting him and would change her mind again. Mura sighed when she realized that she had come to her decision.

"Hey Mura! You dozin' off again?" came the cruel voice a moment before the kick to her shin. "Class is over."

"Oh...yeah...it is." Mura softly mumbled and gathered up her books.

The kicker turned to his friends and said, "God what a freak!" before they all ran out of the room laughing.

After school, Mura got into her car and drove to the little cafe again. Though she stayed way past the time that eating her small dinner accounted for Ichigo never arrived. "And why should he?" she asked herself. After all she had never seen him here before yesterday though she often came here to eat supper and be alone.

"You are getting this fairly quickly," Ichigo commented as he explained the basics of math to the plushie sitting on his desk.

"Geez! Why do you act so surprised? Do you really think the Soul Society would create stupid soldiers to fight Hollows?" Kon asked him bitterly.

"Uh...not really. It's just hard to remember what you actually are sometimes. You always act like such an idiot."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't just hear that and mercifully spare you a beating," Kon smirked at him.

"God don't make me laugh, Kon." Ichigo replied while rolling his eyes.

"Are we done then? Because as amazing as I know it sounds, I actually have plans tonight that don't include being dressed in tulle."

"That is amazing." Ichigo teased.

Kon pointedly looked over Ichigo's body. "So is there any chance of you letting me...uh...borrow that tonight?"

"Uh...no!" Ichigo yelled pushing Kon's nosy face out of the way. "I've got like a TON of homework to do tonight and I'm not leaving this desk unless there is a Hollow alert."

"Well I don't have time to wait around for that." Kon replied jumping down off of the desk.

"Have fun!" Ichigo called out to the plushie's back.

"You know this is really a stab in the dark here." Kon muttered to himself as he crept along the dark corners of the street. "I mean who knows if she has ever been to the restaurant before yesterday? I highly doubt she comes to the same place to eat everyday." Yet he knew that it was the only lead he had. He knew nothing else about Mura. When he finally arrived at the cafe it was already full dark. "Damn these short little legs! And damn Ichigo for being so greedy tonight. I need my body so I can do homework. God what a pathetic thing to need a body for. There are so many better things to do with one." Kon quickly looked around to make sure no one was in sight. When he was satisfied that no one was around he swung up onto the bench and climbed up its back to the window. He carefully peaked inside to see if he could see Mura. It took him a moment to spot her, but then he saw her at a booth picking at the remains of a long finished dinner while looking around the restaurant. God she was so pretty. He cursed at himself and slid back down to the seat of the bench.

"Ichigo's right. I'm such a freakin' idiot. What the hell am I thinking? I shouldn't even have come." Kon prepared to leap off of the bench and head for home when he noticed that the front door was opening. He quickly flopped back down on the bench and lay perfectly still. When he saw who was stepping out onto the sidewalk it became ten times harder to stay still, but he did.

Mura sadly stepped out into the night. It was a little more chilly than it was when she entered, so she unwrapped her sweater from around her waist and put it on. She was about to head to her car when something on the bench caught her eye. "Hmmmm...What's this? It looks like some little girl forgot her lion," She carefully picked the toy up and looked around for the owner. "I suppose I'll just leave you here and hope that she comes back to find you," Mura said as she lowered her arm to put the plushie back down, but as she did so she noticed how unnaturally bright its eyes were. "My you are a cute one, aren't you," she smiled. "I would take you home with me, but I am afraid that I am too old for stuffed toys any more," she carefully placed it back down and hurried to her car, suddenly disquieted by the button eyes that were watching her from the bench. 


	3. Chapter 3

Awwww! Sorry Rukia isn't in this one. There are some characters I can write well and some I can't and Rukia falls under the group of characters that it is hard for me to get in their heads. I'm so happy that you told me you liked this though! When no one says anything I just assume everyone hates it. Yeh...I'm weird like that. :P On to chapter three!

Kon watched Mura's car drive away until it was out of sight. Then he hopped down off of the bench and began walking home. He thought of her last parting look at him before she left. He knew she sensed something about him, but probably not anything close to the truth. He felt strangely morose, a feeling that was pretty alien to his cheerful disposition. He attempted to cheer himself up by remembering how he was able to get an eyeful of her breasts without her knowing. He giggled a little at that and said, "She did say I was cute."

That night when he was back home on Yuzu's shelf he silently prayed for there to be a Hollow alert tomorrow evening. Normally he would want nothing of the sort because he feared for the innocent souls and humans that could be hurt by them, but tonight he was being selfish and he knew it. He tried to make himself feel better by rationalizing that Ichigo would be able to take out any Hollow that he came up against and so there was no need to worry, but he realized that mostly he just cared about being able to talk to Mura again. If only he could take back what he said about how she should never have met him. If he could just say to her how sorry he was to have said that, he felt that he would be able to rest easy again.

Across town in her small bedroom, Mura was also awake and musing. She shivered as she remembered the stuffed lion on the bench again. At first she had thought nothing of it as she picked it up and wondered about who lost it, but then she had started to get a queer feeling about it and had quickly left it there. She licked her lips and nervously looked around her dark room. Her eyes met the eyes of the one remaining doll still in it, a present from her beloved grandmother. She stared at the doll for awhile silently daring it to look back at her, but she never got the feeling from it that she had got from the lost plushie. She finally turned away and tried to settle down into some semblance of sleep.

That afternoon Kon impatiently paced the floor of Ichigo's bedroom, still hoping beyond hope for the signal that would call Ichigo away.

"Would you stop that infernal pacing, Kon? I can't freakin' concentrate with all of those soft footsteps rustling behind me. And why the hell are you in my room anyway? You haven't been in here this much since Rukia left."

Kon hopped up on Ichigo's shoulder and yelled in his ear, "Can't a guy nervously pace in peace any more?!"

Ichigo screamed and threw him across the room. "What the hell do you have to be nervous about? I'm the one with a huge Geometry exam tomorrow." As he settled back down to his books, Ichigo felt the skull emblazoned badge call out to him. "Shit. Just what I need right now." he angrily muttered to himself. "I'll have to make this quick."

"ICHIGO!!" Kon yelled as Ichigo prepared to leave his body. "Can I go in...please?"

"Are you deaf Kon? I already said I don't really have time to deal with this freakin' Hollow and I sure the hell don't have time to wait around for you to bring my body back."

"Oh come on...you're just going to be reading. Surely you can do that in your spirit form?" Kon shot back. "Besides I promise not to be too long."

"FINE! I don't have time to argue with you." And with that Ichigo forcefully shoved his hand down Kon's throat and pulled the pill out.

The second that Kon entered Ichigo's body he screamed, "Why don't you try a little harder to choke me next time! You didn't quite finish the job!"

Ichigo laughed at him and jumped out the window.

Kon checked the time on Ichigo's wristwatch and figured he might as well go straight to the cafe. He would spend all evening there waiting if he had to. With Ichigo's legs as his own tonight he was able to run to the cafe in a couple of minutes. As soon as he stepped inside he scanned the crowd for Mura, but didn't see her. He tried to stifle the disappointed that flooded through him and headed to the counter to sit down. As he was finishing his second bowl of noodles he saw her come in. He didn't realize seeing her again would affect him so strongly and as he gasped in awe he started choking on the noodles he was chewing.

Mura looked up at the sound of coughing and her eyes widened. Ichigo was back at the place he had been sitting a couple of nights ago. She watched as he took a swig of his drink to calm his coughing and then stood up to come to her. Mura looked behind her to see if there was anyone behind her that he could be approaching, but no one was there. She had a hard time not returning his sunny grin as he walked up to her. "Mura," he said to her. Mura wasn't sure what he wanted to tell her and she didn't know what to say so she kept quiet until he spoke again.

"Uh...Mura...I was a real jerk to you the other night and I want to apologise."

"It's OK. I was kind of a jerk to you as well. I wasn't really hearing what you were saying to me half the time," Mura responded to him.

"Here come sit down with me. I'll buy your meal and don't worry...I even know how to pay for it now!!" he told her happily as he lead her to the counter. Mura shook her head at the weirdness of that statement, but happily followed him. She had never had anyone as good-looking as Ichigo pay any attention to her before. She could almost suspect that he was having her on for a bit of fun, but then she would see his smile and realize that he was being sincere.

"So what do you want to eat? Don't worry, I have the money to pay for whatever you want." Ichigo told her.

"Uh...I'll just order the soup again," she said to him and she took a sip of her water. "So are you from here, Ichigo? I hope you don't mind if I say I've never met anyone quite like you before."

"Hey! I'll take that as a compliment. I already know I am one of a kind...well maybe not ONE of a kind, but there are very few souls like me anywhere in the world," he giggled as he began eating his noodles again. He looked back up at her and then said, "Um...yeah...I pretty much come from around here."

Mura wasn't sure what to make of that statement so she quietly observed him from the corner of eye. He was even cuter than she remembered. She again wondered why he was he was even giving her the time of day. Surely someone as good-looking as Ichigo already had a girlfriend, or at least a lot of prospects.

"Ichigo?"

"Hmmmm...?" he responded.

"Uh...if you don't mind...I...a...would like to see you...a...again." Mura barely managed to stammer out.

"Uh...well...I don't know if that is such a good idea. You see..." Ichigo began, but Mura stopped him.

"I understand what you are trying to tell me. I knew it was too good to be true that you didn't have a girlfriend or anything."

"No! It's not that! God! Ichigo is WAY too much of a stuffed shirt to have a serious girlfriend." he giggled to himself.

"Did you just refer to yourself in the third person?" Mura asked him quizzically.

"Uh...no?"

Kon looked at Mura for a moment. He had to figure a way out of this. The truth was he wanted more than anything to see Mura again, but how could he give her a specific date? There was no way that Ichigo would let him have his body on a whim like that. As he watched her, he saw Mura's smile falter again.

"Do you like to watch the sun rise over the ocean? It's where I get my name. The violet dawn that rises over the sea in the earliest hour," she told him.

"Wow. That's really beautiful," Kon stammered.

"Would you like to meet me here tomorrow morning?" she asked him as she scribbled directions down on a napkin and handed it to him.

Kon looked up into her eyes fully intending to tell her there was no way that he could, but when his eyes met hers he said, "Of course." The way her face lit up at that was enough to make up for the worry that was already gnawing at his heart.

Mura stood up and Kon stood up with her. "Thank you so much! You won't regret it, I promise." She looked as though she wanted to hug him goodbye, but instead she grabbed his hand and vigorously shook it. "I'll see you tomorrow at dawn!" she happily called to him as she left the restuarant.

Kon slowly sat back down alternately cursing his stupidity and smiling at her parting grin. 


	4. Chapter 4

HeeHee! I need to update this, huh? I'm glad you all are enjoying it! :D And actually I see Kon as being sweet in the real story, but with horrible social skills which would make sense since he had been without human contact for God only knows how many years.

When Kon came back into Ichigo's room he found Ichigo reading his math book still in his Soul Reaper robes.

"Uh...Ichigo...um...I was wondering...do you think maybe...I mean...if it isn't too much of a problem..." Kon began.

"Just spit it out already! Geez! What do you want?" Ichigo replied still looking at his book.

"CouldIuseyourbodyagaintomorrowatfourinthemorning?! !" Kon replied in a rush.

"Four in the morning?! What the hell for??" Ichigo asked incredulously. "You know, I think I have been letting you use my body too much these past couple of days. It's going to your head. I mean what do I look like to you? Rent-a-Body?"

Kon just glared at him.

"It's time for you to get the hell out of there." Ichigo quickly stood up and stepped into his body before Kon could respond. This time when the pill fell out of his mouth, he held it in his hand for a moment debating whether he should even put Kon back into the plushie. "He sure as hell has been bossy lately." Ichigo said to himself as he bounced the small pill in his hand. He reached over to his desk meaning to put Kon in his pencil jar, but then sympathy won out in his heart. As he put Kon's soul back inside the lion he said, "Don't make me regret this."

As soon as Kon was back in his plushie body he stalked off for Yuzu's room. Once inside he silently tiptoed past her sleeping form on the bed and set her alarm for four in the morning. He climbed up onto the nightstand next to the clock and laid down to sleep. When the alarm went off the next morning he started awake and quickly shut it off before it could wake Yuzu. He then crept to Ichigo's room and quietly climbed up on Ichigo asleep in his bed. He stood over him a moment watching him snore with his mouth wide open. Kon had never before considered doing what he was about to do now. It went against every fiber in his being and he knew Ichigo would probably never forgive him for it, but it had to be done. After meeting Mura this morning and telling her that he wouldn't be able to see her any more, he would come back and tell Ichigo that he would never do this again-and it would be the truth. He had feeling that Ichigo might kick him out of the house after this, not ever trusting him again, but that was a risk that Kon was willing to take. He took his soft paw and reached into his own mouth as far as he could reach until his paw found his pill-encapsulated soul. He then leaned over Ichigo and put his mouth right over his knowing that the second he pulled out his soul he would have no more control over this body. He was pretty sure at this angle that his soul would fall right in Ichigo's mouth and be swallowed. He pulled...

Ichigo was standing in front of his class in nothing but a grass skirt and a lei trying to work the 5+3 problem that was written on the board. The answer kept slipping out of his mind, but he knew he had to write something soon or everyone would start laughing at him. He raised his chalk to the board and then...

He found himself floating above his body lying in bed. "What the hell?" Ichigo mumbled. Before him his body opened its eyes and smiled a little sheepishly. Then he saw the plushie laying across his face and it all became clear to him.

"I can't believe this! Get the hell out of there this instant!!" Ichigo screamed at Kon.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, I really am...but this is an emergency!! I promise never to do it again. In fact I promise never to ask for your body ever again as my punishment for this." Kon stammered as he got out of bed and ran around the room trying to avoid Ichigo and get dressed at the same time.

"Fine!" Ichigo yelled as he stopped trying to grab Kon. Instead he reached for the stuffed toy on the bed. "I think you are forgetting something Kon! When you come back you won't have a freakin' body to come back to!" With that he grabbed the plushie and ran down stairs to throw it in the trash. Kon ran after him loudly protesting. As they fought over the lion over the trashcan Yuzu sleepily wandered into the kitchen.

"What's all this noise?" Yuzu asked the only person she could see...Kon in Ichigo's body. Her eyes widened when she saw her toy half smashed into the garbage bin. "Hey! That's Postaf! What are you doing with her?!"

Kon jerked the plushie out of Ichigo's hands and said, "Uh, I found this in the garbage. I don't know how it got in there, but you need to take better care of your toys. Especially this one. He is really special."

Yuzu grabbed her lion and said, "Come on Ichigo everyone knows that Postaf is a girl! It's quite obvious. Awww! She's all dirty. It's time for a bath, Postaf. And after that maybe I'll sew you a new dress to make you feel better."

Kon inwardly groaned as Yuzu carried the lion back up to her room. He smirked at Ichigo and said, "You ain't getting your hands on that one for a LONG time. I'll be back and in time for you to get to school as well!"

After Kon ran out the door Ichigo debated whether to follow him or not to see what was so damn important. He figured he would let him go this time, since after all Kon would know he was being followed and Ichigo didn't feel like fighting any more this early in the morning. He went back upstairs and sat in front of his opened Geometry book again. Since he couldn't go back to sleep he might as well make the most of it.

When Kon was sure that Ichigo wasn't going to follow him he ran over to the shut down flower stand next to the street. The least he could do was soften up his words of farewell with flowers. All girls like flowers...right?

Mura spread out the picnic blanket and laid out the simple breakfast she brought. Then she sat back and waited for Ichigo to show up. She heard him whistling before she saw him. She turned around and smiled at him.

"WOW! This is really great!" Ichigo told her as his eyes took in the picnic spread out in the dark.

Mura saw the bouquet he was holding and smiled. "Are those for me?"

"Of course they are. Who else would they be for?" Ichigo said as he thrust the flowers towards her.

Mura took one of the bottles of water she had brought and stuck the flowers in it and then set in in the middle of the blanket.

"Uh...Mura...there is something I have to say."

"Shhh... Tell me in a moment. The sun is starting to rise and if you don't watch it you are going to miss the violet part."

Ichigo sat down next to her and she shivered a little.

"It is a little cold out here isn't it?" Ichigo told her and then he gently put his arm around her. Mura sighed in complete bliss and looked out over the ocean. The combination of the beauty of the dawn along with being gently touched by Ichigo made her heart swell with happiness. She never realized that such happiness was possible.

Kon looked over at Mura's shining face and had to turn away again. He couldn't look at her like that and then tell her what he had to next. Once the sun was over the horizon and all the violet turned to sunny blue he turned to her and cleared his throat. "Mura...I really, really like you so don't think that I am rejecting you." Mura looked up at him. "But I...I really can't continue to do this. I...uh...well you really don't know who I am and if you did, I don't think you would like me."

"How can you say that? What is there not to like about you? You are so exuberant and sweet...you just bubble over with joy. Plus you have to be the most handsome guy I have ever met."

"Well, I probably am not as handsome as you might think. I mean maybe I am, I don't know. I guess I really never thought about what I look like before."

"What are you blabbering about?" Mura teased. "I should stop you from talking and making more of a fool of yourself," she smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.

Kon's eyes widened in surprise, but then he bent to kiss her back. Yet before their lips could touch, he heard a voice behind him.

"So this is your emergency, huh?" 


	5. Chapter 5

"Well after you left I got a Hollow alert. Then even after I had dispatched the Hollow I was still getting a weird spiritual sense in the area. Granted I was practically on top of you, but I think my spiritual sense is getting a little better," Ichigo finished smiling. "I would ask you why you didn't sense me sooner, but I figure it is because you were otherwise occupied?"

"You really shouldn't be spying on me." Kon whispered back to him standing up.

"Why the hell not? It's MY body you have there! And I think it is time you gave it back."

"Who are you talking to Ichigo?" Mura asked him worriedly while looking around the empty parking lot.

"Aw crap! You gave her MY name as well?" Ichigo asked Kon as he reached out to grab him.

Kon quickly stepped out of reach, "Uh...yeah...well the whole thing really just got out of hand."

"You're damn right it did!"

"ICHIGO!! What in the world are you doing?!" Mura asked as she watched him run around and talk to the air.

"Mura. I'm sorry...I just have a...a little problem I have to take care of here." Kon told her as he ran past.

"HaHaHaHa! Now what do we have here? Three tasty snacks? What a treat to find them so early in the morning."

Ichigo and Kon both stopped and looked up at the huge skull-like face that hung over them.

"Shit Ichigo! You freakin' attracted a Hollow and put Mura in danger!" Kon screamed at him.

"Just take the girl and run away! I'll take care of this!" Ichigo called to him as he pulled out his zanpakuto and ran towards the Hollow.

Kon grabbed Mura's hand and said, "Come with me! We have to get out of here!" Yet before he could get her more than two feet a huge hand swung out of the sky and grabbed Mura.

"I'll eat you first since you are the weakest of the bunch...not much more than an appetizer!"

"Hey! What the hell is this?!" Mura angrily spat as she felt her body swiftly raised upward by an unseen hand. She struggled and kicked, but was unabled to escape from the tight grip. "ICHIGO!" she screamed.

Both Ichigo and Kon replied, "I'm coming!"

Ichigo ran up the huge form with his robes flapping and raised his sword. He cleaved the skull mask clean through and as the Hollow dissipated he yelled, "Catch her Kon!"

Mura screamed as she fell and Kon ran underneath her. He held out his arms and she fell into them. He could feel Mura shaking from head to toe and he held her tight. "It's OK now," he soothed. "I have you."

"What was that?" Mura asked him gradually calming down.

"Uh...I don't really know either," Kon lied. "I just got really scared when I saw you lifted up into the air like that."

Mura laid her head on his chest and whispered, "You saved me, didn't you?"

"Not really," Kon stammered, embarrassed.

"Oh don't be so modest," she said as he set her down. "Now I think we were right about here," she breathlessly whispered as she reached up to kiss him.

Mura gasped a little as he pulled her closer and she realized she could feel his heart beating against her own. When their lips met and locked she never wanted to be released from his arms again. Mura thought it was the perfect first kiss.

"Geez Kon! What are you trying to do? Win the world record for the longest kiss ever?" Ichigo spat, disgusted. "Come on, already!" While Kon was still kissing the girl, Ichigo reached out and pulled him back. He saw the girl's eyes widen at that, but he didn't have the time to care too much about it. "We're getting out of here Kon!" Ichigo mumbled as he dragged him away.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Ichigo heard the girl call after them.

"I...uh...have to get to school now! It's time!" Kon called back next to him.

"Oh crap! You're right!" she responded checking her watch. "When will I see you again?"

"Tell her never." Ichigo told Kon as he prepared to drag him out of sight so he could reclaim his body.

"Are you serious, Ichigo?!" Kon whined. "Can't you tell she's crazy about me?!"

"Well you are going to seriously drive her crazy if you keep this shit up! What do you think would happen if she ever met me and thought I was you? You don't think about stuff like that do you? Do you ever think at all?" Ichigo asked him through his teeth.

"Uh...tonight at the cafe?" Kon called back.

"Great!" the girl said before going back to pack up the picnic she had brought.

"You idiot!! What the hell are you saying?!" Ichigo asked Kon shaking him. "Fine then. If you won't end it, I will."

"Ichigo! Come on! I mean you don't ever have to see her, just me...It'll be OK, right?"

"It's not OK...not now and not ever! And I am through talking about it with you." Ichigo said as he stepped into his body and this time when the pill fell out of his mouth he tucked it into his pant pocket. "You just stay in there for awhile Kon. I'll take care of this mess you made for you." 


	6. Chapter 6

Last chapter! :D Enjoy!

Ichigo paused for a moment to get his bearings and to think of the quickest way to get to school. "Hey wait a minute..." He looked down at himself and then angrily pulled Kon from his pocket. "Argh!! That is just freakin' nasty!!" he yelled at the pill. "I REALLY don't want to know when you get turned-on in my body!!"

Mura sailed through the day on a cloud of happiness. Even the taunts of her classmates shattered against this new-found shield. I can't believe that he wants to see me again so soon. And the way he saved me from...from well whatever it was...he did save me. I could stay in his arms forever. She dreamily looked down at the what she was drawing and smiled when she realized that it was Ichigo's face. When school was over she practically ran to her car, so much was her excitement to see Ichigo again.

That afternoon Ichigo snuck into Yuzu's room and grabbed the freshly laundered and beribboned lion from her shelf. He took it back into his room and sat on his bed clutching it tight. He pulled the pill from his pocket and shoved it into the plushie's mouth.

"Hey! Long time no see, Ichigo!" Kon yelled up at him.

"Now listen here and listen carefully. I need to know one thing only." Ichigo told Kon holding him in a death grip to prevent him from escaping. "Which cafe is it that you met Mura at?"

"Now Ichigo, I really think that we can strike up some kind of a deal here...don't you? Do you really have to go and ruin my chances of ever getting any and break some poor girl's heart?" Kon whined back at him.

"You are only going to be in this body for one more minute. Either tell which one it was or don't and I'll figure it out. If you don't tell me though I won't put you back in any body for the next year! That will be enough time for you both to cool off!"

"It's three doors down for Urahara's store," Kon mumbled. "Now will you let me go?"

Ichigo smiled and said, "No." He reached back into the lion's mouth and pulled Kon's soul out.

"Trust me Kon, it's best for everyone this way," Ichigo said as he placed him in his pencil jar. On his way out he replaced the plushie back on Yuzu's shelf.

Mura looked around for Ichigo when she got inside the cafe. When she didn't see him she asked for the table closest to the counter. She was half-way through her bowl of soup when he appeared. She instantly noticed that there was something off about him. For one thing he wasn't smiling his bright and sunny grin, in fact he was scowling and looked quite crabby. When his eyes met hers they didn't light up like they had before and her heart sunk. He quickly strode over to her table and sat down, clearly ill at ease.

"Uh...Mura?" he asked her.

Her eyes widened a little at the sound of his voice. It was clearly different than it had been before and not just because he sounded like he was pissed at the world.

"Yeah?" Mura was barely able to squeak out. She nervously tore at her napkin.

"I...a...I'm sorry I lead you on like this. It was bad of me. I can't see you any more though...ever," Ichigo told her and then quickly got up to leave.

Mura caught his sleeve and he turned back to her. "Why?" she asked him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably and said, "I can't really tell you why...you just can't, OK? Oh God, don't start crying on me." He pulled away from her grip and quickly strode from the restaurant.

When he was back in his room he looked at the pill sitting in the bottom of his jar and said, "Geez. Don't make me have to do that again for you, Kon. It was way too hard." He looked at it a moment longer and said, "I can't be the bad guy any longer. Can I trust you not to pull the stunt you did this morning ever again?" His mind made up he grabbed the pill and took it into Yuzu's room where he replaced it back into the lion.

Once back inside Kon just slumped on the shelf. "Is it over?" he asked Ichigo.

"Yeah." Ichigo mumbled back. Suddenly Kon stood up and ran towards the door of the room. "Hey! Where are you going?" he yelled after him.

"Well even if I can't have a relationship with Mura, I still want to see her!" Kon yelled behind him as he left the room.

Mura sat in her booth until it was full dark outside and she knew she couldn't linger any longer. Then she slowly got up and left the cafe. Once she was outside she walked over and sat on the bench. It was going to take her longer than she had thought to feel well enough to drive back home. At first she was too lost in her own thoughts to notice anything around her, but when she turned to look down the street her breath caught in her throat in surprise. The plushie lion was back on the bench where he was the last time she saw him. "Are you lost again?" she asked it. "I feel really lost right now...almost like these past few days have been a dream. You don't mind if I tell you do you...I have no one else to tell," she said as she pulled the stuffed lion into her lap.

"You see I met the most wonderful person in the world, but even in the beginning I could tell there was something weird about him. Of course that just endeared me to him all the more. He was so quirky and different, unlike anyone I had ever met before. He seemed so sure of himself even when he looked a little silly." Mura laughed softy to herself and didn't notice the plushie slightly shifting at that statement in her lap. "But the more I think about it, the more I think I had an encounter with a ghost. I mean there were so many weird things that were happening around him sometimes. I don't know how else to explain it." She sighed and then continued, "And then tonight when I saw him again in the cafe, it wasn't him at all, and yet the person I saw in the cafe tonight seem to be the real person and the one I had met before the imposter. Yet I liked the imposter a LOT better," she smiled to herself. "Yes I must have been falling in love with a ghost...I don't know how else to explain it."

I AM a ghost aren't I? Bodiless, formless...no place to go unless someone is kind enough to put me somewhere. Kon silently thought to himself. A tear slipped from his eye and fell down his cheek.

"You know what? I do feel better after talking to you. Strange," Mura told the plushie turning him over to face her. "Hey, what's this?" she asked herself noticing the wetness on it's cheek. She shivered as the first dropplets of rain fell on arms. "Ah, yes...just the rain then. I shouldn't leave you out here in the rain though. Here, let me put you back in the cafe were you'll stay dry. Maybe you'll still be there tomorrow, huh?" Mura asked as she took the lion back into the cafe. She left it in her booth nestled in the corner and then left the restaurant.

Kon watched her go.

The End 


End file.
